BIP Safe & Trusted AI in Tourism: Mobile Assistants for Real-World Trips

The main objectives of the BIP Programme are:

• to develop practical, real-world solutions that support travellers and hotel guests through mobile AI assistants in key tourism scenarios such as city guidance, mobility, events and changes, and hotel guest support;
• to strengthen user trust by teaching participants how to reduce the risk of incorrect or outdated information and design transparent, safe interactions;
• to build mobile-first service concepts through clear user journeys, simple user flows, and rapid prototyping suitable for real travel contexts;
• to promote responsible and inclusive design, addressing privacy, ethics, and accessibility in tourism and hospitality applications;
• to enhance international collaboration through team-based challenge work, mentoring, and peer feedback in a blended learning format; and
• to produce portfolio-ready outcomes, including a tested prototype and concise documentation, communicated through a final pitch and demonstration.

By the end of the BIP programme, participants will be able to:

• analyse travel and hospitality needs and identify a well-defined user problem, supported by a simple user journey map.
• design a mobile-first AI assistant concept and create at least two complete end-to-end user flows for a selected tourism scenario.
• apply principles of trustworthy interaction design, including indicating information sources, handling uncertainty (“not sure”), and defining human handover rules.
• produce a clickable prototype (no-code prototyping) suitable for demonstration and basic testing in a real travel context.
• evaluate and document privacy, ethics, and accessibility considerations using a structured checklist appropriate for tourism and hospitality services.
• communicate the proposed solution effectively through a short pitch deck and demo, articulating the value, limitations, and practical implementation considerations.

Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management
The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management is the only faculty in Croatia with a full focus on the education and scientific development in the field of tourism, hospitality industry and sustainable development, which makes it an important factor for the development of the Croatian tourism industry.
Cooperation with other higher education institutions in Croatia and other countries, as well as cooperation with institutions and companies in the private and public sector and civil society are of high importance for maintaining good quality of education and research.
Google Map

Opatija
Opatija, 13 km to the west of Rijeka is situated in the Kvarner bay in a sheltered position at the foot of the mountain Učka. It had been a small, romete fishermen’s village until the middle of the 19th century. Opatija (in German and Italian Abbazia) got its name after the Benedictine abbey situated in the center of Opatija.
The town’s modern history began in the middle of the 19th century, when Villa Angiolina was built.

At that time many celebrities from metropolises of Zagreb, Vienna, and Budapest came to spend time at “Angiolina“ and in Opatija. Opatija became a fashionable destination for the Austrian imperial family and Austrian nobility. Soon the luxury hotels and grand belle époque residences and villas were built. The first luxury hotel – Hotel “Quarnero” (today “Grand Hotel Kvarner”) was built in 1884. The hotel Kronprinzessin Stephanie was opened in 1885. Opatija’s first guide was published in Vienna in 1883 with the title Abbazia, Idylle von der Adria.
For more info please visit https://www.visitopatija.com/en

Lovran
For millennia, Lovran has been a magnetic draw for travelers, enthralling them with its breathtaking coastal vistas that make bidding farewell a challenge. As the oldest settlement along the Opatija Riviera, its roots trace back to the 1st century BC, where legend has it that Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a Roman patrician revered as a statesman, general, and cartographer, selected this locale as his dwelling. Dating back to the 7th century, the town’s earliest reference as Lauriana sheds light on its nomenclature, derived from the fragrant laurel that continues to infuse Lovran’s atmosphere with its distinctive aroma.
Evolving around the fortified mandrać, a harbor linking Lovran to both nearby and distant destinations, the medieval township burgeoned. Naturally, the harbor also enticed adventurers who extolled the beauty and significance of this town nestled where the slopes of Učka meet the
Adriatic Sea.

In the 12th century, Lovran’s shipbuilders and sailors garnered acclaim from the esteemed Arab cartographer al-Idrisi. Centuries later, the illustrious travel writer Johann Valvasor commended the region’s bounty, marveling not only at the aromatic laurel but also at the luscious chestnuts and succulent cherries unique to Lovran. These fruits, unrivaled in flavor, remain foundational to the local gastronomic identity.
For more info please visit https://visitlovran.com/en/home/

The Faculty is located on the coast, making accommodation availability scarce, especially during the spring and summer months. Therefore, we strongly recommend booking your accommodation as early as possible to secure a suitable place to stay.

If you are looking for accommodation near the Faculty, consider searching in the following nearby locations:

• Ika – the small town where the Faculty is located.
• Ičići – a nearby town within close proximity to the Faculty.
• Lovran – approximately a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute ride by bus line 32.
• Opatija – reachable within 20 minutes by bus line 32.
• Rijeka – located 20 kilometers away, with a 55-minute ride on bus line 32 to the Faculty.

If you are arranging your own accommodation, especially if you do not have a car, ensure that your chosen location is within walking distance of the Faculty or has access to bus line 32 for convenient transportation.

Some suggestions near the faculty:

• Hostel Link 7 minutes’ walk to the Faculty; 7 minutes walking distance to the beach.  – LINK
• Hotel Lovran – 12 minutes walking distance to the Faculty, 5 minutes walking distance to the beach.– LINK
• Hotel Excelsior – 12 minutes walking distance to the Faculty, 5 minutes walking distance to the beach.– LINK